Top 10 of the best beaches in Portugal for Wine Lovers

If you are thinking of visiting Portugal, why not start by discovering its beaches? The country has some of the best beaches in Europe and has an array of features that appeal to both Greeks and Trojans. From wonderful cliffs to extensive sands, passing through crystalline and paradisiacal waters. Find out here, with us, which are the 10 best beaches in Portugal for wine lovers, and beyond!

Take the opportunity to enjoy getaways in the sun, which you can accompany with wonderful wines in the surrounding wineries!

Comporta Beach, Alentejo

© Alma da Comporta

One of most of Portugal's best secret beaches spots is Comporta, which is a village on the west coast of Portugal is about an hour's drive from Lisbon. The area is very well preserved, due to a very highly protected nature reserve making this part of the Alentejo very well preserved and untouched. Moreover, the Herdade da Comporta is a swoop of coast between the Sado Estuary and the sea. Plus, Alentejo is known for its quietness and hidden gems, and the beaches of this region are the same. With a 20km long beach (12 miles) you have a lot of tranquility to enjoy. Comporta is never overcrowded even in July or August, so you have plenty of space for your beach towel. Besides, it has a great offer of private villas, charming hotels, and amazing wineries for you to visit, while enjoying the sun and the sea. 

Portinho da Arrábida, Setúbal

Photo from Viagens Portugal

The alluring beach of Portinho da Arrábida is located in a calm bay within the Serra da Arrábida Natural Park. This natural park has been given protected status in 1976 to preserve its natural beauty scenery and its steep hills and green shrubs. The landscape was once used as a backdrop to the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service during the scene when Bond’s newlywed wife is killed in a drive-by shooting. The route Estrada de Escarpa is known to be one of the most scenic in the country. Furthermore, this beach is one of the most peaceful and charming in the Lisbon area.  The white sand and lush hills that surround the beach create a tranquil spot where you can have a soothing break and where you can also go canyoning, sailing, or go diving thanks to the diverse marine life in the clear blue-green water, which makes this an excellent place for this activity. Plus, while on the trip to this beach, discover and explore the Setúbal area, its estates, and wineries that will delight you in every way.

Praia dos Galapinhos, Setúbal

The cliffs protect it from the wind and help keep the sea calm. And that's how you discover Praia de Galapinhos, one of the pearls of the Setúbal Peninsula. Here, among parks, nature reserves, and a picturesque bay, hide some of the best beaches in Portugal. Lovers of nature and simple landscapes fill their eyes. The beach is nestled between white sand, small rocks, sloping rocks, clear water in a magical bay. From here you can go to Setúbal, a nice surprise, as well as to the beaches. Its center is a small labyrinth, with narrow streets, hidden squares, and familiar shops. One cannot forget that this city is home to the biggest fish market in Portugal.

Nature lovers can get lost in the Arrabida natural park. The beauty continues and amazes with its new forms. Let yourself be bewitched by the fascinating Cabo Espichel, a menacing promontory, which frightens and attracts at the same time, with the view that overlooks the slopes. In fact, there's nothing in the area apart from a church and an old lighthouse, dating back to 1790. If you want noise, you'll have to make do with ocean waves crashing heavily on the rocks. And it's no small feat.

Costa da Caparica, Lisbon

Located about 20 km from the historic center of Lisbon, this is a place not to be missed! Go visit Costa da Caparica and discover all the natural wonders and the authenticity of the people of this small town on the south bank of the Tagus River, on the outskirts of the Portuguese capital. 

Azenhas do Mar, Sintra

In the past, there were several mills powered by seawater in the region, a romantic setting full of symbols, gestures, and everyday life. This architecture so present decades ago is disappearing, but it still leaves its traces in the name. The name of the beach of Azenhas do Mar means "water mill". One look is enough to be conquered and to understand the beauty of this place.

Photo from All About Portugal

We are talking about a place where the warm hospitality of Portugal and the wild and rustic spirit of the ocean coexist. The beach's charm is also in its picturesque location, as it is protected by a rocky wall. And fascinating is the city of Sintra, between lush gardens and colorful palaces that look like magical labyrinths. From above, it has the shape of a Moorish castle, with a park that embraces the Serra de Sintra. In the surroundings, you can count on wineries and farms to taste countless wines that, due to the microclimate and location, have each bottle representing a very special heritage, an authentic collector's item.

Nazaré Beach

Nazaré beach is one of the most spoken names in the past few years, especially for surf lovers.  The rough sea is dangerous for swimming, but it is much appreciated by surfers who find spectacular waves here. One such wave, 30 m high, was surfed by Hawaiian Garrett McNamara in November 2011 and was named “Biggest Wave” in 2011.

The formation of such large waves here is explained by the location of the Nazaré Canyon, the largest underwater ravine in Europe, with a length of 200km and a depth that can reach 5,000m. Its wall, less than 1km from the coast, affects the characteristics of the swell, as it presents itself from the west, creating giant waves.

The calm waters of the sheltered beach and the wine culture surrounding this region make this a marvelous escape for wine lovers. Discover the best beaches in the Algarve: 

Carvoeiro Beach, Lagoa

In the center of the town of Carvoeiro, nestled between the cliffs, you’ll find Carvoeiro Beach. Carvoeiro is a picturesque fishing village, with a long history of settlement, which is great for those how are looking for a serene place to rest and to run away from the city. Plus, there are vestiges of human settlement dating to the Roman occupation of the peninsula, as well as early naval activity in the area. It was also historically unspared from frequent pirate and military assaults along the coast, with a number of naval battles occurring off the coast. The calm waters of the sheltered beach and the wine culture surrounding this region make this a marvelous escape for wine lovers.

Camilo Beach

One of the most magnificent beaches in southern Portugal, Praia do Camilo is close to the lively coastal town of Lagos in the Algarve. Surrounded by sandstone cliffs and curiously formed rock formations, this charming pocket of dazzling white sand is reached via a long wooden staircase that winds through a carpet of hangman and crinkled-leaf rockroses.

Bathed in warm, shallow, turquoise waters favored by snorkelers, Praia do Camilo's tranquil setting exudes an air of peaceful exclusivity despite its proximity to some of the region's top resorts. The small cliff-top restaurant serves bathers and tourists, where the menu is enhanced by a fabulous panoramic view of the coast between Lagos and distant Albufeira. 

Gruta de Benagil - Benagil Cave

The Algarve, as we said before, is a Portuguese region, multifaceted, alive, which never tires of surprising you with its picturesque scenery, its beautiful beaches, and its natural treasures. The Benagil cave deserves a special mention. The crashing waves will let you in an all-blue treasure. From an opening, sunlight will be projected onto the golden sand and crystal clear water: in the middle, there are two majestic stone arches that serve as the entrance to the cave.

Erosion from waves and tides has given the cave a unique and picturesque shape. This impressive window to the sky creates concentric circles in warm tones. And everything gives the impression of being bigger on this closed beach, which stretches for a hundred meters and it's as if the beauty also expands. You will have to cross a part of the sea by boat, kayak, or swim to bathe in this cave. Here, we always have to be careful. Water can reach great depths and strong currents can also occur suddenly.

Praia da Marinha

In 2007, the Michelin Guide awarded it the distinction of one of the 100 most beautiful beaches in the world. Almost 10 years earlier, in 1998, he had already received the Praia Dourada award from the Ministry of the Environment. Located in the municipality of Lagoa, in the Algarve, the beach is surrounded by prominent cliffs of golden tones and is bathed by blue waters so transparent that they allow you to see the seabed in a perfect way. It is therefore the ideal place for prolonged snorkeling sessions to spot urchins, starfish, seahorses, among other countless species of marine fauna and flora.

See here the tours you can enjoy, and enjoy the summer in Portugal! We promise you won't regret it! If you need help organizing your ideal trip, contact our team of travel advisors.